A New Time
by CarylOfTheBells
Summary: She ran her hand up the side of her stomach, feeling where she used to be rail thin, was now filled out and soft. Trailing her hand to her back, she felt the slight arch that had never been there before. Finally, she ran her hand over her stomach which had swelled considerably in the past few months. Caryl of course.


**Be gentle, this is my first attempt at anything Caryl. **  
**I do not own anything TWD.**

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She laid in bed on her side, her head propped up on a few pillows. Listening, she could hear the shed door banging open and closed distantly in the wind. She ran her hand up the side of her stomach, feeling where she used to be rail thin, had filled out and was soft. Trailing her hand to her back, she felt the slight arch that had never been there before. Finally, she ran her hand over her stomach which had swelled considerably in the past few months.

It had been nearly fifteen years since she had had Sophia. Ed had wanted a another child, a boy. Having several miscarriages and secretly reluctant to bring another child into the abusive home, Carol had been to several doctors at Ed's persuasion. All of them telling her the same thing; She couldn't carry again. She was too old, and her body wasn't equipped to carry another child full term.

Of course it would have never crossed Ed's small mind that maybe throwing your wife down the stairs while she's pregnant was a bad idea. After a while Ed had stopped trying, and Carol saw it as a blessing. He had accused her more than once of being barren. That Sophia was just a fluke. But then again it was Ed who had punched her in the stomach for getting ham instead of turkey for his lunches.

An arm had snaked its way under hers, and rested its hand on her belly. Daryl began to rub comforting circles on her skin with his thumb. He scooted closer to her on the bed, and nestled his face in the crook of her shoulder. Breathing in her scent he smiled, and promptly fell back into sleep.

When she had realized that she had gotten pregnant, she was hesitant to tell anyone. Especially Daryl. She was certain that this pregnancy would be just like the others; Gone before she knew it.

She was also afraid of how he would react. She knew it had been hard for him growing up, his father wasn't exactly roll model of the year. It wasn't too long into their relationship that she had discovered the scars that marked his back and shoulders. He was reluctant to tell her; that was the only part of him and his life that he had wished she didn't want to know about.

When she did tell him, when her belly had begun to grow, and she knew that even if she lost the child, she couldn't hide it anymore, he had reacted strangely.

First he was angry that she hadn't told him as soon as she had known. Then he was in disbelief that he was going to be a father. He then began to stew over how hard it had been to keep Judith safe, even when they were at the prison and had sturdy walls to surround her. He had spent a lot of time away from Carol at that point in his process. He spent his time away from her, by taking care of Judith. Carol hadn't minded. She knew he had to process all of this his own way.

When he had finally come to bed one night, late, as Judith was sick, and was having a hard time getting comfortable, he undressed down to his boxers and laid in bed next to Carol. Wrapping his arm around her middle gently, he pulled her closer to him.

"I'm sorry I've been acting like a child, avoidin' you an all." He sighed, "I have realized that even if I wanted to, I can't change this. But I don' want to. Your safety is all that matters to me, until that baby comes. Then it's gonna be the two of ya. An until then, you are going to be careful. You're not gonna carry nothin' heavy, an you're not gonna go on runs, and you're not gonna be killin' nothin'. It's gonna be very boring for the next few months. But I just want you safe, an that baby safe. Thas all that matters to me now."

His speech had moved her to tears, and if it wasn't for her quiet sobs, he would have thought that she was sleeping and hadn't heard him. In response to her crying, he had pulled her even closer, his hand pressed softly, but firmly to her belly. "This is all that matters to me now." 

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**What did you think? If i can get enough good feedback, I may attempt to write this as a two-shot, chapter two being in Daryl's perspective.  
Thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed!**


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